Let's see where did I leave off? This week in the hostel has been pretty good, nice place, has its own bar on the first floor for meeting other travelers, and is pretty much in a perfect area.
WiFi has been atrocious, however, making it hard to get work done and also keep thing here updated and I'm afraid things have gotten a little out of hand. So, I'm giving up n giving a day by day accounting and just gonna let you all know the highlights, and even that might be too long.
Ciutadella Park is like a mini Central Park. It has a zoo, and sculpture garden-esque things, includeing a sculpture called 'Grief' by Josep Llimona, whom I may need to look more into.
The Barcelona Aquarium is the point when I really got serious about my Spanish, I went through all 20+ tanks only reading it all in Spanish, then cross checking myself on the English translations. They had a really fun final tank that was 35M across and 5M deep with sharks that you actually walk through a tunnel under it. Pictures when I get back.
The Picasso Museum increased my respect for old Pablo Ruiz. I'd only ever seen his later works from the Cubism days, and frankly, I don't much like cubism. But I was really enthralled with his earlier works. Particularly one called Wagon that is a picture of a wagon in a barn - sound bland but really well done, and google images is denying me at the moment. I took the time to stop and draw it and will scan my humble results later.
Gruell Park is up on a hill overlooking all of Barcelona, great view . Saw the Gaudi museum and am quickly becoming a convert to his works.
Museo de Historia: So, a museum is cool in and of itself, especially if you are a history nut like me. This museum was the palace of the counts of Spain in the past, that was moved here for the worlds fair. When moving it they found Roman ruins underneath it and began excavating, but then a civil war hit and they were temporarily forgotten. Just recently (in the 90's) they began excavating the basement again, but since its a museum they put an elevated pathway through it. There is a 4th-5th century early Christian Church, and a earlier winery and fishmonger, about 6-8 feet below that. At first it can be disorienting cause the way its excavated makes it look like they were gutting fish in the chapel. All this is underneath the adjacent Paca del Rei!
Barcelona Cathedral, Inside Sagrada Familia, walking along the coast, Actually finding the four existing Roman columns that no one has directions too (hint, they are beside the millstone embedded in the pavement marking the highest point in Roman Barcino, walk uphill.)
Too much to get into, just amazing. Today after walking along the Mediterranean for abotu five hours I found the street artist who had caught my eye last week. I bought original pieces (for peanuts). None are completely original but I liked this guys style. The guy selling was actually the nephew of the guy who painted them. I realized as I walked away that it was actually a different artist that had caught my eye my first week here, but it turns out I like what I bought more. They will be gifts for three people, and two canvases for myself.
Last night I was supposed to go to Passia the, purportedly, best club in the city with two new Norwegian friends, but I fell asleep and woke up way too late. Ah well.
So, the adventure continues. I fly back to NYC tomorrow, where I have about a day and a half before I head fro Washington D.C. to see William officially wed. After that the nose goes back to the grindstone. I am closing out old clients, getting my new assistant up to speed, and need to launch 2-3 side businesses, but this trip has very much affected my future plans.
I've joked about getting a houseboat or some mobile means of housing, my brother suggested an R.V., but I am beginning to think boat is the way to go - something that can cross the Atlantic, satellite internet, working on my art, working on the web, doing my thing... this deserves some thought.
The other thing this trip has taught me is more about the value of my time. If I am in a reasonable financial position to be doing things like this on a regular basis, the price of stress just went up. I have a decently secure job that lets me do stuff like this whenever I want (within reason), why am I still taking sidework that I don't much care about?
Well, big updates, this will be a long post. The first stage of my trip is over. The final co-worker left this morning, and I've moved from the company apartment to a Hostel on Passieg de Gracia. This past week has been an eventful one, no doubt. I'll give you the play-by-play here in a minute. Internet is now difficult to come by, so I will do my best to keep thing up here, but no promises.
However, by and large, the first stage of the trip was about DrupalCon. Not only was being in Barcelona a mind-expander in itself, I was surrounded by some of the top minds in web development. I got a ton of new ideas and could work for a few weeks just refining my technique and learning all this new material. I don't really have weeks, but I did take some time to do a few patches for drupal, we'll see if they make it in before Drupal 6 launches.
Its Monday. Thursday night was drinks in Placa Sant Miguel with crazy Europeans. We all met a Placa Reial, the locating of which was a little adventure. I had a general idea where it was but mostly had to spiral in on it. That trip probably taught me more about the layout of Las Rambles than anything else. I'm still consistently amazed at how you can be literally around the corner from somewhere in the old city and not really know that it is right there. I figured this out in a pleasant surprise, when at the end of the night I walked off in the general direction of the metro and found Placa Sant Jaume, about 50 feet away. Wow, this is right where I was last night!
Conference all day, Friday night we caught up to Aaron, who had mysteriously disappeared the previous day and through the morning. Turns out he wasn't registered for the conference that he had come to Barcelona to attend... whoops. Him, Neil, and I went down to Placa Sant Jaume and saw the beginning of the Festival Merce. Giant Puppets paraded through the crowded square, and then performed tradintional dances to a full orchestra. A King and Queen, a Lady and Gentleman, and some other couple that I couldn't place. Two dragons, a tortoise-thing, a lion, an eagle, and many dukes. All larger than life, they are called los gigantes, and stand 20 feet tall.
Anyway, conference all day, Saturday night was the Correfoc. Aaron and I headed down to Via Laietana where we knew it was going to start at 10:30 - it was already in full swng at 10:15. We ran into the streets with everyone and watched as Devils and Dragons danced to the drums, and set fireworks off in ways most mothers would disagree with. In general, a devil holds a 4 foot long 'pitchfork' on the end of which is put something between the range of a huge sparkler with an M80 on the end of it. Then they light it and run down the street spraying sparks at your feet, then raising the pitchfork into the air it creates a fountain of fire, fially ending with a loud concussion. The idea is to dance in with this, and run with the devils.
Aaron burned up a good dress shirt (who wears a whie dress shirt to run in fire?), and I had one of the loud bangs go off about a foot from my ear, causing some ringing for the rest of the night. It was a ton of fun.
We then walked back through to Placa Sant Miguel and had one of the best seafood dinners I've ever had. Mussels Marinara, and some fried oblong potato thingy, whose name I forget, but they are all over the place here, to start. I had a seafood casserole, with at least three kinds of fish, mussels, and prawns. Aaron had a turbot, which is Spanish, for tasty-damn-fish.
Neil joined us and we walked through Las Rambles till early in the morning. Aaron left early Sunday, reluctantly.
Next morning, I went off to the Placa Sant Juame again to see the human towers that I spoke of earlier. I have some camera phone video, but don't have my cable with me, so I will upload when back in the states if it turned out OK. The travel guide I had said that the rarely built over 6 stories, but I was seeing them go up to 8. The last person up is always the lightest, meaning a 4-7 year old child. The honor is actually in disassembling the tower gracefully. I saw one fall, but I don't think people get hurt too much, as when it does happen, its kind of in slow motion as everyone is trying to prevent it. Instead you just kinda wind up with a large pile of people. The youtube provides again:
Hack fest at one of the drupalista apartments for a few hours, then I headed back. I got off the subway a stop before to take a quick look at La Sagrada Familia cathedral, I'll need to go back and see the inside, but I'm already fascinated. The way the stone seems to droop or flow like water is amazing and a skill I'd like to look at for use in my own work. That Gaudi was a wacky dude.
Then a walk home on Carrer Guadi hat has a center median strip for shops and restaurants. Turns out there was a massive dance going on about three blocks from our apartment. The placa was so full it took me 20 minutes to navigate 50 feet and realize that I just didn't have the energy for this. I was already at sensory overload. I bought a bottle of local wine (2,55 Euro, about $5) and spent an evening in for a change.
And that brings us to present. The rest of the trip is going to be different. Flying more solo, more sight-seeing, and more work, which I don't want to fall more behind in.
Coming Soon:
Inside of Sagrada Familia - with a sketchbook.
Barcelona Aquarium.
Possibly the Roman Ruins South of here.
More.
century early Christian Church, and a earlier winery and fishmonger, about 6-8 feet below that. At first it can be disorienting cause the way its excavated makes it look like they were gutting fish in the chapel. All this is underneath the adjacent Paca del Rei! 
